Since the holidays are here, I wanted to make some cute Christmas cookies to celebrate. Plus, I can definitely use the season as a reason to practice piping. I’ve only made decorated sugar cookies a handful of times, but I think I get a tiny bit better each time I try them.
So naturally I made ice cream cones for Christmas.
Kidding. I kid. But I did use this ice cream cone cookie cutter to make something else.
I have a limited supply of Christmas cookie cutters, so I had to improvise, you see.
I like improvising.
Simply turn it upside down and it makes a great base shape for Santa.
Lots of Santas.
I used a recipe in the book, Cookie Craft to make these chocolate sugar cookies.
Click here and go to page 7 and 16 for the recipes.
P.S. – I love this book. It’s fantastic if you want to learn the ins and outs of cookie decorating.
So – I used the shape of the cookie cutter to draw several different Santa heads on a sheet of paper. Then I made a few facial variations to help me practice.
My kind of homework.
After the cookies cooled, I drew the faces on the cookies with an edible ink pen, hoping this would help me when I start piping.
I can trace. I’m a good tracer.
But not so good at piping. The drawings did help, but I have to tell you – this stage had me a little worried.
They don’t look so hot, huh?
I think it would be easier with larger shapes, though.
The cutter I used was about 3 inches tall. So the mustaches and such were really small.
Small for me anyway.
But I piped and flooded forward.
And thank goodness I kept going, With the help of some sprinkles and sugar crystals and an edible ink pen – they all turned out pretty cute.
I definitely think the different textures help pull off the look.
Some have cute rosy cheeks.
Some have big brows.
Some have curly locks.
And the fun part is …
… if you change the drawing on the inside of the ice cream cone shape and use different colors of royal icing…
You’ll end up with some of Santa’s little helpers.
So, don’t give up.
Pipe on. Practice makes good.
I’m still trying for perfect, but I think I need to make decorated cookies more than once or twice a year.
Guess I’ll just have to keep playing.
It is sweet fun.
And if you want to play, too… I can make up a downloadable template of different Santa faces… using basic shapes like ice cream cones, circles, or hearts as the base – so you can make your own … If you like.
you really have such vision and talent! It inspires an art challenged person like myself to give it a try!
these are the cutest!!
TOO CUTE!!! Where did you purchase your cookie cutter?
Angie, they’re adorable!! You did GREAT!!!! I love decorating cookies with royal icing, but wow, it takes time. :)
Ah! The Santa’s helpers are ridiculously cute! I think your Santas came out pretty darn cute, too!
How ridiculously fun/cute/sweet! Love them!
Inspired use of the ice-cream cookie cutter: these are amazing!
So my question is how do you get RED royal icing? Mine always comes out pink.
Those are fabulous. So very talented you are.
Adorable, I love them and I would love the templates!!!!
Those cookies are just adorable. What a great idea to use an edible ink pen to mark the piping lines. In all my 10 years of cookie decorating I never even thought of doing that. Duh! Thanks for all the helpful tips.
These are amazing! You are incredible!! Super cute, I would love to receive a plate-full of these! :)
Oh my! Thanks a lot Bakerella! I just gained 5 pounds just drooling over these cute cookies! You are so talented! I fell in love with the elves. My 3 year old was looking over my shoulder and said, “yummy!” and then he licked the computer screen. You are that good!
these are so unbelievably cute! i’m so impressed that i re-posted some of the pics on my blog to show my friends how talented you are :D
xoxo
merry Christmas!
Yes, please make some templates to share with us. I’d like to get better at cookie decorating too. I think yours came out fantastic!
Those are so stinkin’ cute! I love seeing your creativeness, its rubbing off on me! :) My husband and I tried making cake pops last night, failed a bit! LOL Practice will help I’m sure! Now I want to try making decorated cookies :D
you. are. so. creative! My girls & I are looking at thosee ice cream turned santa turned elf cookies in amazement!
Wow! This is amazing! You’re very creative..I especially love the Santa with thick brows. He’s so adorable! =)
Wow, these look amazing.
I bought the book a month ago and I’m still fascinated by the pretty pictures.
Could you post the recipe for the icing you used? I would LOVE it!
so cute! You are now a master at cookie decorating in my opinion!
Wow! Those turned out fabulous! I love how one cookie can be decorated in so many ways.
So cute! All your characters always look so perky and adorable. Your cookie shapes are so crisp – what recipe did you use? Mine always puff up and have trouble keeping their shapes :( It’s such a great idea to draw your outlines with edible ink pen. Here’s my attempt at Christmas sugar cookies:
http://cakestory.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-sugar-cookies.html
And of course I know you know and met Marian of Sweetopia (http://sweetopia.net/) . She gives great tips and I love how she outlines and floods in one shot so there are no visible lines.
Awesome re-use of that cookie cutter! Love these they’re SO adorable!!
Oh they are SO pretty! :) Good job!
I’m going to make sugar cookies as well for Christmas.. once I have my arm out of cast *courses* but how do you store decroated cookies and for how long do they keep!? and yes, templates would be love!
ohmygoodness – if these are your “still needs work” versions, i’d fall off my chair seeing the “perfected” versions! these are ADORABLE!! i love all of santa’s expressions & the elves!
Yes to the templates, please! These are so adorable! What great ideas!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. These are utterly ADORABLE!!!!!
So adorable…. would love the template… hey do the cookies taste good too??
If you made up those templates, that would be awesome!
These look amazing! We’re our own worst critic, but you seriously did a great job : )
These are adorable! I definitely don’t believe you only decorate cookies twice a year. I wish my first tries turned out that great! I’m pretty jealous. I want to try them! I hope I get a chance before the holidays are over!
I think they look perfect!
Love it! You are so talented!
Oh my! I was inspired simply by the sweet Santas but the surprise of adorable elves just put things over the top! Super cute! :)
I’m such a bad/messy decorator. I only hope that one day I can create masterpieces as beautiful as yours :)
SOOO creative! I love them! :)
I second what Ambar wrote – I can’t find the recipe! When I click the link I get a Google Books review page of the book, but can’t quite figure out how to get to the pages you mentioned… sorry if I’m missing something simple, but I’d really like to try the chocolate sugar cookies. Please help.
So clever and so cute! I wish I could decorate like that!
Darling… Truly!
Those are some of the cutest sugar cookies I’ve seen!
These are absolutely adorable. This is my first time commenting, but I’ve been a fan of you – and your work – for a while now. Thanks for sharing!
Goodness, those turned out great! I can only wish my piping is as good as yours :)
Love the santas and elves! I would have never guessed it was an upside down ice cream cone!
I LOVED it!!! I wish i could decorate cookies so pretty i have no patience or skill when it comes to that specially the details being so tiny.
Please do post the templates! Thanks <3
Bakerella, like many others…you rock!!! And if these are practice ones I would hate to see the ones of perfection! Your diverse use of a cutter is awesome. I will be trying my had at cookies over the holiday for the first time. Wish me well! And before I forget, please include the templates and your recipe for your icing.
Bakerella,
You are so talented! Everything is is so detailed and sweet! I love your ‘cupcake’ cookies from last year and hope to decorate cupcake bites with the same colors. Thanks again for all the fun ideas!
When I first started reading, I thought, I hope she does elves too, b/c that would make cute elves! And it DID make cute elves! :)
They are so cute! And you are like always… extraordinary!!
Thank you!
Etta
These are SO cute! Love them!!!
Yes! Please the template! I can’t draw!
These are adorable and thanks for sharing!
I think you did a fabulous job and such an ingenious idea!
Those elves……………
That’s the stinkin’ cutest thing I have ever seen on any blog by far! I just made 10 dozen cookies this weekend, wish I had seen these. Thansk for sharing.
These are AMAZING! I gotta find me an ice cream cone cutter!
i think i am in love with the elfs more than the santas! ty bakerella!
i recently used a christmas tree cutter for a little red riding hood girl. i made it with clay but have not finished it yet!
Love these!! They look so cute and yummy! Thanks for all the tips!
Those are super cute. I especially like the variations in the Santa faces. I’ve done some piping (on my website you can see my Looney Tunes cookies on the soccer-themed cake I did for a friend’s son) but you have mad creative skills! Also, people are going nuts for the cake pops here in Aurora (just north of Toronto). P.S. Sad to have missed the book signing :(
I love decorating sugar cookies, and I can’t wait to try out a chocolate version of the recipe!
Here’s my latest attempt at sugar cookies — can’t wait to do some Christmas ones!
Consumed: The Best Sugar Cookies (Ever)
Very cute and creative..
I love them! you are so talented!
Wow, they look amazing! I really like the little elf.
you make the most adorable little cookies! and after seeing these i think it’s quite obvious that I need the piping practice :)
I never would have thought to use the edible ink pens to outline the design. I think I can do that. I’ve never tried decorated cookies because my piping skills are limited. I might try this. Thank you!!
These are amazing….I would love the template.
Thanks!
I click on the link but can’t find the recipe – what am I missing??
I am inspired by you, once again! I would love to see your templates. You are so creative…..to use an ice cream cone for Santa and his elves????? That idea rocks! Thank you for so many ideas!!
Con un mismo molde que maravillas haces, como siempre gracias por todos los paso a paso, así seguro que el día que me decida ha hacer galletas decoradas, se que tengo que venir a tu página a seguir tus explicaciones.
un saludo
I’m in shock over how cute these are!!! You never cease to amaze and impress! Congrats on all your recent success and Happy Holidays!!!
I would love a template. You are so creative and have such great ideas. Thank you for sharing them and helping us, me, less creative people become creative.
These are so cute! I wish I were half as creative as you! A template would be great! I need all the help I can get! lol! Merry Christmas Bakerella!
How cute are those?!?!??! I’m not talented enough to anything like this. My artistic skills are a little lacking, almost to non-existstant!
These are adorable! You are so very creative! Love that you used an ice cream cone cookie cutter to make cookies htat are so dang cute!
Oh wow! I didn’t even think about using an edible marker!! I’ll totally do that next time. My piping was totally off yesterday!
Love the idea of using an ice cream cone cutter for santa and elves. I’ll be stealing that idea ;)
a template would be great! these are super cute!
absolutely darling!
Those are so cute! I want to make some! I love them!
I make ice cream cones every year that have different flavored frosting on them. The frosting I use: Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and lemon.
I made some hearts this year, and turned them upside down to make reindeer. The antlers are mini pretzels dipped in almond bark. They have a red m&m for a nose.
My daughter and I are soooo going to make these this year. Now if I only had an ice cream cookie cutter……
These are so adorable! I think you underestimate yourself sometimes, Bakerella, these look perfect to me!! :) Keep up the great work — you are SO creative!
It is so nice to have you back! I missed your posts of ideas and cute treats!!! Thank you for this one! I may not be able to try this yet due to time and life constraints but I look forward to the day that I can!
I think these look adorable.
I especially love the elves.
You can’t make them too perfect, or no one will want to mess them up by eating!! :)
you are too good girl!
do you do all of this in your kitchen?
WOW you’re GREAT
how did you get the idea? it’s really cool to use that cookie cutter and transfor it into santa! and not to mention that they MUST be delicious!
love your web and your recipes
xoxo
These are adorable! You are so creative! I just don’t have a steady enough hand for these kind of cookies.
These are adorable and I’m sure that they’re really yummy to boot! I’ve always wanted to decorate cookie cutouts for so long but I don’t think I have the patience for it. I’d rather bake a dozen different types of cookies to give versus decorated cookies ;-p My decorating expertise comprises of different sugars…hehe.
Those are adorable! I have supplies to try piping some cookies this week. Seeing yours gives me some step-by-step help. I hope mine come out half as well!
Absolutely gorgeous!! You may have inspired me…now I have to put aside all my other work to sit and create. Any excuse not to do they other stuff.
Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year!!
Lori from Port Perry!!!
These are way to cute!
Absolutely AMAZING!! Love them all and would love to have some sketches!! TFS!
Crazy adorable! Thanks so much for sharing!
AAH, they’re SO cute! I think we’re going to skip the sugar cookies completely this year. I’ve read enough about the royal icing and flooding and all that that I know I won’t be able to keep it simple. I also know that I’ll be the only one decorating (that’s always what happens). So it’s Tollhouse (and a few other varieties) for us this year.
CUTE ! CUTE! CUTE!
Absolute perfection…you’re creativity never ceases to amaze and inspire me! Thanks!
why. are. you. so. amazing??
I would have never thought of this! Thanks so much, when I have a bit more time later I’m going to look at this in detail :).
How fun! Please do make the templates. I am a great copier, but I am a lousy artist.
Oh my!! These are the cutest thing I have seen all day, all week even. The little curly bearded Santas make me want to hug them. Beautiful work.
A template would be great. I would love to make these with my kids this year. Thanks for sharing.
Sorry scratch that, got it!!!LOL
I pipe only a couple of times each year…and you still blow me out of the water! Excellent cookies – anyone would welcome these on a cookie tray! Keep on pipin’….
Again, totally awesome! You have so much talent . . . Happy Holidays! !
LOVE these little Santa & elf cookies. Must share with my facebook fans!
Aww thanks for the tip! I definitely need piping practice!
These look AMAZING and CRAZY cute!
Hi bakerella! Love your site, I cant seem to find the recipe for these cookies. I click on the link and I get the reviews for the book and several other, Im I not looking at a specific place? Please Help! Thank you and happy holidays
Those are too cute!
I think you can stop trying…they’re perfect!!! LOL
I’m still in shock from these cookies’ cuteness…I wouldn’t dare bite them!
Have a great week and happy holidays!
you are so creative coming up with the ice cream cone shape to make the Santa’s and Elves. Awesome job. I think they look perfect!!
Merry Christmas
You are amazing!!! Those are adorable…your creativity is unbelievable!! Thanks for sharing your gift with all of us!
love these!! I think i am going to try these and then try some using my cupcake cookie cutter!!! love those cupcakes! how cute would those be?!!
Spettacolari!!!
was gng to bake cookies today,thanks for this post
Good heavens! You are amazing! That looks really darn good for only doing it a few times a year. I am icing my cookies tonight. Let’s hope they look a bit like yours. :)
Those Santas are so cute!
They look fantastic. Your book just made it to Australia at long last and I finally have a copy :) I can’t wait to start reading. Hopefully you can make it to Australia for a book signing next year! I can only hope :)
What did you use to color your frosting? My red and green never turn out looking like a true red and green.
These look really cute! I love the Santa with the curly beard :)
The cookies look great to me ! Very clever! Would love to have a template…Please! Again you have brought forth the …Awwww. Love ya Bakerella..keep on bakin!
I want to be you when I grow up :) I think for your next raffle, you should raffle off an afternoon of baking with you (and then rig it so I win). These are wonderful!!
I get the icing bit.. can you use those icing squeeze pens thingys.?? I have an icing bag set and it does require practice!
but I dont get the flooding bit… and you have no pics of that part!! I just dont see how I would be able to flood the little parts like the face etc.
Wow. You are a woman of MANY talents. Seriously. Can we hang out sometime? I’d love to spend a day in the kitchen with you – it would be a dream :) Templates? Yes please! And, where did you get the darling cookie cutter?!
I can’t find the recipe..
A template would be much appreciated! Thanks for sharing, you’re amazing.
I have the same cookie cuter and I do the little elves and santas during the holidays too! Another great idea is to make clowns for circus themed parties or babies with party hats just to name a couple.
for someone who is starting out in cookie decorating, these look fantastic.
Bakerella your creativeskills are awesome…… keep up the brilliant & inspiring work!!
Ok Bakerella, those rock! AND I have to know- what type of food marker do you use…I tried one and it didn’t write on food very well :/
Thanks a bunch!! Can’t wait to try these out!!
Ah-mazing!
Those are super cute!!! What a great way to re-purpose an ice cream cone cutter!!
So nice, i like this.
you are so creative. all of the cookies you posted are stunning. i’m so glad you’re brave ’cause you show the rest of us that we can do it, too. : ) thanks, bakerella!! <3
AMAZING – especially for someone who apparently needs practice with piping….(I don’t think so!) These are just wonderful :)
I think they look fantastic, Bakerella! You’re too hard on yourself! You’re a pro!
gosh I can’t believe you don’t think these are perfect! they look fantastic, and I would be beyond stoked if mine turned out even nearly as cute!!
Squeeee! My BFF just gave me an icecream cone cookie cutter & I was trying to imagine how I’d use it at Christmas. I can’t believe you solved it for me just in time for our annual cookie decorating party on Friday!
Beautiful job! I need to try my hand at piping sometime.
They are wonderful. And I have that book, go figure, I was just thinking I wanted to make a chocolate sugar cookie. Now I want to make santas and elfs and ice cream cones. Hope I can find an ice cream cone cookie cutter. :)
Templates pretty please!!
they turned out sooooooooooooooooooooo cute…..and so yummmmmmmy!
you know what we are gonna ask of you next…………a cookie book !!!! :P
Soooooo CUTE!!! I love them : )
You’re so modest – these are incredible. X
amazing. so awesome and truly creative :)
Too Adorable! Please do post templates for those of us who are artistically stunted. Also, what did you use for the cheeks and noses? And where did you get the cute stars, etc. for the hats? THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR INSPIRATION!
sooo happy you are back to creating..they are ADORABLE!! :)
Love them! Have to admit that cooking decorating scares me a little…both the piping and the flooding! :) Would love to see some templates if you’re still willing to post them!
Wow!!! These are too stinkin cute!! So festive, I think I’ll try these with my daughter, it will help us get into the Christmas mood even more…thanks for the great idea!
I agree with everyone else, you are way to hard on yourself these are adorable !
These are adorable! I’ll be piping for the first time in just a few days. Decided to take of the task of making Christmas treat baskets with Christmas themed sugar cookies, red and green vanilla cake balls and toffee squares!
they are ridiculously cute!! and yeah, i would love a template because I can’t even draw stick figures. seriously.
OMG I never thought about doing that. I think I bought an ice cream cone when I was at Sur La Table outside Chicago, now I am going to go searching in the morning to see if I can find it…so excited to do this…Thanks for the inspiration.
You’re a natural! Amazing!
I absolutely love these cookies! A template would be so appreciated though! I’m dying to try these now.
HOHOHOnestly!!! These are some of your cutest creations ever! But then again, I think that each time you post. Seriously LOVE these tho! Lori L
i think it’s one of the cutest
character snacks you put up on this site! (:
looking at the icecream cone
cookie cutter upsidedown.. who does that? :D
this is very brilliant and i love
the effects of the sugar and nonpareil :]
Those are absolutely adorable and they look perfect to me. Now I have to look for an icecream cookie cutter to try this
these are super cute! i am challenged when it comes to cookie decorating. i’d love to learn how to turn out beautiful cookies.
So much inspiration!!!
You are sooooo talented!
Super idea using the icecream cone upside down, I really have too many cutters and love finding new uses for the ones I already have. I like curly Santa.
I used to have trouble with the outlining being too bumpy too and then I read tips from Marian at Sweetopia and she said she uses the same consistency for piping outline and flooding. How about that completely different that what I had been taught!
I just wanted to say I love how you turn cooking into such an art! Instead of it being just a plain old cookie or cupcake you eat, you turn it into something extraordinary! Its really inspiring.
Very,Very clever lady. xx
OKAY I found it!!!! I was so busy looking at those cute pics that I didn’t see the recipe link!
Thanks everyone!
Sarah – in stages. I just takes extra time.
Alex – I just wish I could get the flood icing to be even when it meets the outline. I think it looks too bumpy. And I wish I could get the outline to stop when and where I want it. Ugh.
suki – not for cake balls, but I’ve used it for a cake.
Grace – I wish I could remember.
Cheryl W – Americolor Gourmet Writers
Mrs. H – There’s a link to the recipes in the post.
A
dor
a
ble!!!!
Thanks for sharing! You are so creative!!! I would enjoy using a template if you had one. Thanks :)
These are so cute! I love them!!
love. these santas and elves are adorable! please, please on the template! many thanks…
Also, what kind of candy did you use for the cheeks and nose. Please take it as a complement that I’m totally using your idea;)
What cookie recipe did u use? I love them!!!!!! SOOOOO ADORABLE!!!!
would love a downloadable template of santa cookie cutter…its awesome…
I love Cookie Craft and I love you!! It is SO hard to do great piping if you only do it once in a while; I always promise myself I will do more! I love that you can think outside the box with the cutters! Pipe on, sister!!
Please make a downloadsble temp. Please.
I decorate cakes and cup cakes but cookies give me a BSiG run for my money.
AMAZING!! What is the recipe you use for your icing??
These are too too adorable. And thank you for showing 3 uses for one cookie. Uh-mazing! One of my goals is to be really really good at decorating cookies. I’m inspired to sign up for a class now. Keep up the inspiration!
What edible markers do you use? I bought some in October to make some Cake Pop Jackolanterns and they didn’t work worth a darn.
I am also working on perfecting my technique. I can never seem to get the icing quite the right consistency.
Your cookies look great! I will have to try chocolate sugar cookies next year :)
2 words, you rock!
Wow. If these are your okay ones, I’m dying to see your good ones. These are the cutest Santa cookies I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be able to eat one. I’d just stare at him and giggle at his adorableness. A template would be very cool, if you were so kind to share. Anyone ever tell you that you’re awesome? Because you are. Simply, awesome.
Sooo glad you posted this!! JUST this week I was thinking about giving cookie decorating a try.
Seriously, could those be any cuter! Love! And, how creative to use the ice cream cone shape! I’ve never done royal icing before and TOTALLY want to! Think this might finally be the year to try it. Thanks for the great inspiration (as always)!
WHERE did you get that cookie cutter?!
Love them! I just made some chocolate sugar cookies for a Christmas party and everyone loved them. Gotta work on my piping skills too but these worked fine for me =]
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs603.ash2/155550_10150105288770351_678725350_7841114_5673360_n.jpg
adorable and so clever as usual! :D
Those are awesome!
I am 100% in love with these! They look so much better than anything I have ever done, you have LOTS of patience and time. Nice work!
Wouldn’t want to eat them they look so good.
They look SUPER-CUTE. I’ve been icing cookies all week :) Mittens, hats, bells, snowflakes, and some Santa cookies too. I agree sometimes sprinkles make all the difference.
please please please i would love a template!!!!! i can pipe, but i dont know if mine would turn out so well with only 3 inches to work with!
oh my! LOTS of work! SOOOO cute & worth it tho!!! They look FANTABULOUS!
O’ Bakerella, you make this look so simple lol! Awesome job :-)
That is so dang cute. I look forward to your blog every week :)
P.S. I was reading through your blog the other day and wondered if you’ve ever used the Green Tea Matcha powder to make cake pops? Just wondering if it’s doable… my family is huge into green tea and green tea flavored pops would be amazing.
Those came out sooooo cute!
Oh, wow. What do you mean “still trying for perfect?” These look absolutely fabulous!!! I almos want to print out this post, just so I can stare at the pictures. LOVE!!
These are adorable!!!
Very, very cute….how do you keep the sprinkles and non-pareils(sp?) from getting in the other sections…I think you are doing just fine with the piping by the way :)
Such cuteness!!! LOVE these!
A template would be awsome! I don’t know what you’re talking about with “okay piping” I think these look fantastic!!
what an excellent idea! you’re so good at this pipping thing and they all look so adorable!
I love that book! I wish I made decorated sugar cookies more often. Is that a worthy New Year’s resolution? To make iced sugar cookies at least once a month?
Great idea with the ice cream cone – I need to think outside the cutter a bit more.
You’ve done it again!!! You amazing woman you!
Oh seriously! You are so clever!!! Who ever would have thought of using an ice cream cone shape! These are AWESOME!!!
Oh I love them so so much!! They are just too cute!
These are so cute!! Love them!!